IChange
IChange is the Association of Public Land-grant Universities' ASPIRE Institutional Change initiative to enhance recruitment, hiring and retention of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty from underrepresented groups, and to encourage inclusive teaching, advising, and research mentoring by all faculty.
Since January 2020, UNL has joined IChange as a member of Cohort 2. Our institution has engaged in structured self-study to assess practices relating to faculty recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion. Currently the UNL IChange Team is developing a phased Action Plan to implement best practices and to assess outcomes.
Commitment to Equity
"Aspire's Institutional Change initiative (IChange) seeks to cultivate post-secondary institutions where STEM faculty from underrepresented groups (URGs) are widely recruited, hired, and retained, and all STEM faculty employ inclusive teaching, advising, and research mentoring.
The IChange Network is designed to catalyze institutional change by providing a comprehensive, systematic approach to organizational transformation using a structured self-assessment process to inform the development and implementation of an action plan.
Participating institutions will begin their work with a self-assessment of their current practices and resources. Institutions then develop and implement an action plan for initial change and map ways to scale such efforts across all their STEM programs."
IChange
Leadership
Marco Barker
Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Inclusion
Christopher Marks
Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs
Nicole Buan
UNL IChange Coordinator, Associate Professor of Biochemistry
IChange
Leadership Team members
Katherine Ankerson
Executive Vice Chancellor
Richard Bischoff
Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty and Academic Leader Success, Professor of Child, Youth, and Family Studies
Michael Boehm
Harlan Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Professor of Plant Pathology
Mark Button
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Political Science
Jason Casey
Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics
Gwendolyn Combs
Director for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion, Associate Professor of Management
Debra Hope
Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Graduate Education, Douglas Professor of Psychology
Sherri Jones
Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, Hodder Professor of Special Education and Communication Disorders
Kelli Kopocis
Assistant Professor of Practice, Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction, and Faculty Senate President
Julia McQuillan
Cather Professor of Sociology
Lance Pérez
Dean of Engineering, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
The IChange Model
Activity and Progress
UNL IChange Workgroups
Recruiting Diverse Faculty
- Rich Bischoff (co-Chair)
- Gwen Combs (co-Chair)
- Brittany Duncan
- Mary Ann Johnson
- Rebecca Roston
- Dai Shizuka
Faculty Evaluation
Members
- Lance Perez (co-Chair)
- Sherri Jones (co-Chair)
- Susan Swearer
- Jody Kellas
- Robert Hutkins
- Wes Peterson
- Kwakiutl Dreher
- Lily Wang
- Theresa Catalano
- Andrea Cupp
- Deryl Hatch-Tocaimaza
Retaining Diverse Faculty
Members
- Nicole Buan (co-Chair)
- Mark Button (co-Chair)
- Marianna Burks
- Joy Castro
- Colleen Jones
- Rebecca Lai
- Pat Tetreault
Data, Tracking, and Climate Surveys
Members
- Julia McQuillan (co-Chair)
- Jason Casey (co-Chair)
- Soo-Young Hong
- Jen Muller
- Janet Near
- Mark Riley
- John Ruberson
- Mark Wilkins
Annual Reports
Important Links and Resources
- ASPIRE IChange Action Plan Survey
- ASPIRE: The National Alliance for Inclusive and Diverse STEM Faculty
- IChange Network
- Engagement with Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) Facilitating Entering Mentoring Workshop
- N2025 Strategic Plan
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Faculty Affairs in the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor